Wed, 14th May 2008

Fight against organized crime not safe from Budget cuts

Senator the Hon George Brandis SC
Shadow Attorney-General

Two of the Government’s principal agencies leading the fight against organized and transnational crime, the Australian Crime Commission and the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (“AUSTRAC”) have suffered significant funding reductions in the Federal Budget.

The Australian Crime Commission suffered a funding cut of 7.5% in real terms in last night’s Budget. [Budget Paper No. 4, p. 22]. This is almost 4 times the Efficiency Dividend required by the Government. AUSTRAC’s funding was reduced by 11.4% in real terms, almost 6 times the Efficiency Dividend.

The ACC is the Government’s lead agency for the collection of intelligence on serious organized crime. AUSTRAC is Australia’s lead anti-money laundering agency, whose responsibilities include detection of major transnational crime and terrorism financing.

At a time when international organized crime and global terrorism are a matter of acute concern, it is astonishing that the Government would make such savage cutbacks to the funding, and hence the organization capability, of these agencies.